Stephanie Torres Sworn in at Board Meeting to Serve as Student Trustee

Stephanie Torres of Naperville will represent the student perspective as the new Student Trustee at College of DuPage.

Sworn in at the Sept. 19 Board of Trustees meeting, Torres is finishing up her general education requirements and hopes to be accepted into COD’s Nursing program. She will serve through April 2014.

Torres’ desire to get involved on campus and meet other students led her to accept the position.

“During my senior year of high school, I promised myself I’d get more involved in college,” she said. “So many students, like me, don’t know the complexities of all that happens on campus and I wanted to learn more and meet new people.”

Torres’ initial goal after high school was to enlist in the Navy. Her plans changed when she was turned down. While her peers had visited campuses and been accepted to a variety of colleges and universities, Torres had not, leaving her at square one.

“I had no back-up plan,” she recalls. “I received an email from COD about an event on campus and I decided to learn more. I liked the programs and the campus and it was a good fit for me.”

Torres plans to obtain her nursing degree and would like to work as a forensic nurse, which she says is a marriage of her interests in investigative work and healthcare.

“Forensic nursing is a relatively new field and I’m excited to see what opportunities are available to me. I’m primarily interested in being a death investigation forensic nurse. You get to work with the lead investigator to help determine cause and time of death,” she said.

Torres said she hopes her new position affords her the opportunity to help address student issues.

“I’m most excited to be a voice for the students,” she said. “I see this position as a great challenge as well as a great opportunity.”